


you and me (and the devil makes three)

by SadieFlood



Category: Tragedy Girls (2017)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 02:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17051036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadieFlood/pseuds/SadieFlood
Summary: The Tragedy Girls may be older and wiser now, but old habits die hard.





	you and me (and the devil makes three)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [summerdayghost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerdayghost/gifts).



"Don't be mad," McKayla says, "but I have something to show you."

"Why would I be mad?" Sadie's tone isn't wary, just curious. She hasn't even been back in town for a full 24 hours, but it feels like she never left.

McKayla grabs her hand and leads her down the trail. "I was out jogging this morning and I had a brilliant idea."

Sadie feels a familiar flutter in her stomach. Five years have passed since the Lehmann massacre, but it could have been yesterday. The difference is, she was a schoolgirl with almost nothing to lose back then; now she's a promising young filmmaker with a bright future. She only came back to town for the anniversary and to see her dad, not for a literal trip down memory lane.

Sadie hadn't been quite sure how McKayla would react when she came home for the Lehmann anniversary, but, as one of very few survivors of the fateful day that changed Rosedale forever, she obviously had to make an appearance at the vigil.

There had been some tension that eventually escalated into full-scale drama right after their college graduation; if Sadie hadn't been so focused on not fucking up her future, somebody probably would have died. McKayla had made the decision to move back home without even talking to her. Sadie didn't have the luxury of taking time off before starting film school, and honestly, she didn't want to wait. She knows it's not like they could have been joined at the hip forever, but she'd been irrationally upset, and she'd barely spoken to McKayla for almost a year.

From the look on her face, it's clear that McKayla has decided to act like nothing happened, which suits Sadie just fine.

Or maybe she's going to extend a peace offering.

Sure enough, there's a body in the clearing. A young guy, early 20s maybe, meticulously posed just like Lowell Orson Lehmann's first victim. McKayla had clearly taken the time to get every detail just right.

"M-Kay," she says slowly.

"Surprise!" McKayla's grin falters just slightly as Sadie processes the scene. "What do you think?" 

"A copycat killer?"

"Just in time for the anniversary," she says. "New podcast?"

"Tragedy Girls, back on the case." She shakes her head. "It's brilliant. You're a genius."

"Well, obviously." McKayla throws her arms around Sadie. "I missed you so much."

"I fucking love you," Sadie says.

McKayla pulls away like she's suddenly radioactive, but she flashes a bright smile and chirps, "Samesies."

Sadie thinks she looks a little sad in the split second that follows, but it's probably just her imagination.

Whatever. They have work to do.

*

As predicted, the discovery of the first body reignites public interest in the Tragedy Girls. The local news reaches out for an interview that turns out to be a perfect opportunity to express their sorrow for the new victim and his family and their own defiance in the face of a twisted copycat--and to casually mention their brand-new podcast.

When the second body is discovered, sponsors start knocking down their (metaphorical) doors, desperate for airtime.

When the third body is discovered, CNN starts calling.

Sadie has to go back to school. At home, McKayla is spending most of her copious free time during her "gap year" online, searching for any reference to the Tragedy Girls and responding in kind. Under a pseudonym, of course.

There are some Redditors and other fringe lunatics who are convinced Lehmann was always a hoax and Sadie and McKayla were behind Lehmann's original murders, the school massacre and the copycat killings. Fortunately, they're morons and no one cares.

"Holy shit," McKayla says over Skype. She texts Sadie a link to a YouTube channel. "Look at these idiots."

The idiots in question are a pair of teens from their own hometown calling themselves the Terror Twins. One is a fairly basic mall Goth with blue hair and the other is a future sorority sister, pearls and all. Sadie clicks on a few of their earlier videos, which have all the depth of a third-grade book report on the most famous male serial killers of the last 40 years. 

But then there's the Lehmann video. The teens are a little older now, and clearly influenced by Sadie and McKayla's own videos. "These little bitches are totally ripping us off," McKayla huffs. "And I'm pretty sure they suspect us."

"I think it's cute," Sadie says after watching a few minutes of the Lehmann video. "They're just young. We were young once."

"This is definitely _not_ cute. After everything we put into our brand? We should sue them for copyright infringement."

Sadie scoffs. "I'm pretty sure Lifetime still officially owns 'Tragedy Girls,' and they probably don't care about some 15-year-olds making YouTube videos in a basement."

"Well, we have to do something." 

McKayla is typing furiously on her phone, which seems like a bad idea. "Hold on," Sadie says. "I'll handle this."

Sadie logs into their old YouTube account and types a quick comment: "love your look. want to meet up?" She hovers over the Send button, then adds: "you can ask us anything."

The reply arrives within seconds: "sure. name the time and place."

"You want to meet them?" McKayla sounds dubious. "Wait, you're coming back?"

"Sure. We could, like, mentor them. And I could come back for a weekend. My dad would be overjoyed to see me again so soon."

"Mentoring them is not exactly what I had in mind." 

"Well," Sadie says, "let's keep our options open. There's a special place in hell for women who don't support other women. I think Taylor Swift said that."

"If we're going to hell, that almost definitely won't be the reason. But whatever, I can't wait to see you."

Sadie hesitates. "I kind of thought you were mad at me for staying."

"Really? I thought you were mad at me for leaving," McKayla says.

"Of course not. It just sucks that you're not here anymore."

"I'm sure you barely even notice." McKayla avoids eye contact. "What happened to Darryl?"

"Darren," Sadie reminds her, not for the first time. When McKayla was still at school, she usually referred to him as "Karen," which was honestly more confusing than anything. "I guess he's fine. Haven't seen him in a while."

"Aw. He wouldn't put out?" 

"No, just boring. Not really my speed." She fakes a yawn. "Gotta go. Early class tomorrow. See you this weekend."

She closes her laptop before McKayla has a chance to respond.

Right before she falls asleep, she gets a text: _sry bout yr breakup_ , followed by a frowny face.

She says, _thx but idc abt Karen. see u soon._ Then: _love u._

No response.

*

They decide to meet the Terror Twins at the mall, which is theoretically a public place but is actually a ghost town, even on a Saturday afternoon. The food court is mostly closed and the other tables are almost completely deserted.

The teens don't speak. They just stare at Sadie and McKayla in stony silence. Sadie supposes that's a reasonable reaction to people you suspect of multiple gruesome murders.

"So," she says, to get the ball rolling. She has visions of helping the girls with framing and lighting their videos, and she's already thought of some helpful editing advice.

That all goes out the window when McKayla--who had promised to be calm--just can't stop herself from saying, "You think we murdered all our friends."

The Goth blinks.

"What McKayla means is--"

"That you think we murdered all our friends." She smiles. "And you only wanted to meet us so you could record our confession or video it or whatever. Because you think we're not only remorseless killers, but also total morons."

"We agreed to meet you because you said we could ask you anything," the blonde says flatly. 

Sadie brightens. "We thought maybe we could mentor you, since you were so inspired by our old videos."

"No, we weren't." The Goth sounds bored. "I think we watched, like, two of them as research on the massacre. They were cute, I guess."

"Really?" Sadie grabs her hand, but McKayla keeps talking. "Because it kind of seems like you're trying to capitalize on all of our hard work."

"What a coincidence, that's our first question," the blonde says. "Just what 'hard work' are you referring to?"

"Building our brand," Sadie explains.

"Killing our classmates." McKayla rolls her eyes. "Obviously. I mean, that's what you want us to say, right?"

"We just want the truth," the Goth says. "Our followers deserve it."

"I think we're done here." McKayla stands up and, after a moment, Sadie reluctantly joins her. "Enjoy your 50 followers, who, by the way, are all either fake accounts or 45-year-old conspiracy nerds who are just waiting for you to take off your shirts or make out."

"That was a little harsh," Sadie says when the Terror Twins are out of earshot.

"Harsh but fair," notes McKayla. "I actually feel so much better now that I know they're just Hot Topic rejects masquerading as junior versions of us. Nothing to worry about. Want to get lunch?" She glances around the empty food court. "Somewhere else, obviously."

"Sure," she says, even though the girls' rejection stings way more than it should.

McKayla wraps an arm around her waist and guides her out of the mall.

She can't give into temptation. After all, she's a promising young filmmaker with a bright future, and she can't take any chances.

Right?

*

"Don't be mad," Sadie says, "but I have something to show you.

A smile breaks across McKayla's face. 

"I went out for a walk last night and I had this brilliant idea."

"You did it without me?"

"I would never." Sadie pauses. "Although that first copycat guy was all you."

"That was a gift for you," she points out.

"What a coincidence," Sadie says. "I have a gift for you, too. Well, two gifts, actually. Maybe one and a half. I _might_ have gotten a little carried away."

McKayla squeals like it's Christmas morning, and it's pretty fucking cute, if she's being honest.

The Terror Twins are ready and waiting, in the same spot where Lowell Orson Lehmann himself growled his very first threats in Sadie and McKayla's direction. They're slightly worse for wear, but still breathing; there will be plenty of time to play before the copycat killer claims his or her next victims. 

"Happy slightly belated anniversary," she says.

After a minute, McKayla says, "I fucking love you." She sounds dead serious, and Sadie's stomach drops. It's been a long time, but she thinks she feels scared. Her pulse is pounding in her ears, but she hears McKayla say, "I mean it, you know," as she watches for a reaction, and then, when she doesn't get one, "but it doesn't have to--"

"Same," Sadie says, and kisses her.

It's not like the idea never occurred to her before, and it's not even the first time they've made out, but something is different this time.

When they come up for air, it finally clicks: She can't imagine being with anyone else ever again, and she feels really stupid for wasting so much time entertaining the idea of fucking or marrying someone who would never, _ever_ understand her.

Maybe she's just getting more emotional in her old age, or maybe she finally learned something useful in college.

Oh, well. Better late than never.

Sadie reluctantly pulls away, right before they get to second base. "We can pick this up later," she says, glancing at the girls. "These idiots aren't going to kill themselves."

"Best anniversary present ever, by the way."

Sadie grins. "Just wait til next year."


End file.
